Exelon (NASDAQ:EXC) Shares Up 2.9% – What’s Next?

Exelon Co. (NASDAQ:EXC) shares rose 2.9% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $44.03 and last traded at $44.02. Approximately 3,203,320 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 57% from the average daily volume of 7,417,182 shares. The stock had previously closed at $42.76.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Exelon from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Exelon from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 21st. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Exelon in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Evercore ISI raised Exelon from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $43.00 to $44.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Guggenheim upgraded Exelon from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $45.13.

Exelon Trading Up 3.0 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $44.44 billion, a PE ratio of 17.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.51. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $42.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.78.

Exelon (NASDAQ:EXC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.05. Exelon had a return on equity of 9.52% and a net margin of 10.68%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.60 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Exelon Co. will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Exelon Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This is a positive change from Exelon’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.63%. Exelon’s dividend payout ratio is presently 65.31%.

Insider Transactions at Exelon

In related news, EVP Colette D. Honorable sold 1,463 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.57, for a total transaction of $59,353.91. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 2,271 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $92,134.47. This represents a 39.18 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in EXC. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new position in Exelon during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Millstone Evans Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Exelon during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Stephens Consulting LLC boosted its position in shares of Exelon by 78.1% during the 4th quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 782 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 343 shares during the last quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Exelon in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in Exelon during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. 80.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Exelon Company Profile

Exelon Corporation, a utility services holding company, engages in the energy distribution and transmission businesses in the United States and Canada. The company is involved in the purchase and regulated retail sale of electricity and natural gas, transmission and distribution of electricity, and distribution of natural gas to retail customers.